Track lubricating apparatus



p 9, 1939. M. MOORE I 2,173,654

TRACK LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed Jan'. 11, 1936 z Sh eets-Sheet 1 Fla-3 Frs- Z \295 INVENTOR MlLBURN Moons Sept. 19, 1939. M, MQQRE A 2,173,654

TRACK LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 11,4956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i l /5 I N Q J 6k 1' A E: a

INVENTOR Mnuaunu Moons 1w ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES TRACK LUBRIGATING APPARATUS Milburn Moore, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor of onehalf to Chester F. Gailor, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application January 11, 1936, Serial No. 58,664

16 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in track lubricating apparatus for grooved rails or the like.

By "grooved rails I intend to include all rails or portions of rails which provide a gauge surface and a guard surface between which the wheel flange passes whether or not one of these surfaces is separate from the rail or is provided by a member attached to a T-head or other rail for a limited distance.

A general object of my invention is to distribute, and if the nature of the lubricant permits, to build up, on either or both the gauge surface and the guard surface of one or more rails, a mass of lubricant in position for the flanges of passing car wheels to take it up and extend its distribution.

Another object of the present invention is to provide improved track lubricating apparatus substantially as above outlined in which the distribution of the lubricant to various rails may be equalized or proportioned, and in which the distribution of the lubricant at the rail may be proportioned between the gauge surface and the guard surface as required.

A further object is to provide track lubricating apparatus including a lubricant pump, preferably actuated by the flange of the passing wheel, and lubricant distributing means located between the gauge surface and the guard surface of the rail on which the wheel rolls or of another rail or of both rails.

Still another object of this invention is to provide simple and reliable apparatus to lubricate the wearing surfaces of grooved rails or the like, and of wheel flanges, including a lubricant distributing member located below and out of contact with the normal wheel flange, thus permitting little or no wear on the distributing member.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction described in this specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the particular embodiment of my invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention. I intend no limitations other than those of the claims when fairly interpreted in the light of the complete disclosure and the present state of the art.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view through a rail and attached pump housing, illustrating a preferred form of lubricant pump structure and arrangement;

Fig. 2 is a sectional fragmentary view of an integral grooved rail head, illustrating a preferred form and arrangement of distributing member with relation to lubricant supply connection, wheel flange, and both gauge and guard surfaces;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a preferred form of lubricant distributing member;

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are sectional transverse views of the member of Fig. 3, the sections of Figs. 4 and 6 being taken on the corresponding lines of Fig. 3 and the section of Fig. 5 being a modification of that of Fig. 4;

Figs. 7, 8, and 8A illustrate modified forms of lubricant distributing members or devices;

Fig. 9 is a conventional diagrammatic view, in plan, of a preferred lubricant distribution system including the rail to which a pump is attached and another rail;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of a grooved rail illustrating the spaced relation between pump actuating member and distributing member on the same rail;

Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate other forms of rail grooves which may be built up.

Similar reference characters relate tocorresponding parts throughout the drawings.

Grooved rail heads are used particularly for street railway tracks, the pavement normally embedding the track and the flanges of the car Wheels running in the groove of the rail head. As the car swings around a curve, for example,

the wheel flanges may rub either the gauge surface or the guard surface or both surfaces in turn, as at and 20a of Fig. 2, or certain wheels may rub one surface and other wheels may rub the other surface. Thus, the rail may be worn on both surfaces of the groove, perhaps more on one side than the other. Likewise, the flange of the car wheel will also become worn.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting the application of this invention to grooved rails of the type just described, or to any type of integral grooved rail head, nor do I limit myself to street railway tracks. Some street railway tracks, interurban tracks, and railroad tracks are provided with adjacent guard rails and are themselves T-head or other type of rails. In such construction the application of my invention may be made by a filler block or the like, as at 33 (Fig. 12) held between a rail 8 and 55 a guard rail 32, providing a groove l8 similar, for the purposes of this invention, to the groove l8 of Fig. 1. Likewise, any rail which has no integral grooved head nor an adjacent guard rail, may be provided with an attached block 3| (Fig. 11) providing a groove l8 for the purposes herein set forth. If such block is of material permitting some deformation, such as rubber composition, for example, the substitute guard portion 9A may be made to hug the flange of the wheel as closely as may be desired.

It will be understood that the following disclosure applied particularly to the structure set forth in Figs. 1 and 2 equally applies to such structures as those of Figs. 11 and 12, and that the term groove is broadly descriptive.

I have found that a satisfactory track lubricating apparatus may include (Fig. 9) a lubri cant pump drawing its lubricant supply from a tank 1, preferably between the tracks and provided with a filler cap 5, through a suction connection If and discharging the lubricant through a discharge connection I2 to supply lilies l3 and M which go to the respective rail heads where distributing members are connected thereto as will be explained below.

Preferably the lubricant pump H! is bolted or otherwise secured rigidly to the web 9 of a rail 8. Preferably the pump l6 has a single lubricant connection 3 and by means of check valves properly placed in suction line H, as at 4, and in discharge line [2, as at 2, the flow of lubricant Will be in the proper direction, as is well known and shown by the arrows in Fig. 9. In order, however, to insure proper distribution of the lubricant between the two rails 6 and 8, or any two rails, I prefer to place in one of the supply lines, normally the line l4, a throttling valve 15 which may be adjusted to equalize or otherwise regulate the lubricant supply to the respective rail distributing members.

Lubricant pump [0 (Fig. 1) is preferably equipped with a spring pressed piston or plunger I6 which has a reduced portion l'l extending into the groove I8 of the rail head, where it is contacted and depressed by a passing wheel flange. A stop 19 is preferably provided and is adjustable to regulate the stroke of piston Hi.

In the same groove, and preferably also in the rail head groove of the other rail 6 of the track, or in either groove, is located a distributing member 1 (Figs. 2 and 3) rigidly held in position as by welding the ends to the rail, as at 30, 30, (Fig. 10) This member I is below and out of contact with any normal wheel flange and thus is not materially worn by the passage of the wheels.

The distributing member may take many forms, as Ia (Fig. 8) in which it comprises a flat plate of metal with side discharge notches 24a, 24a, and bent down ends 23a conforming to the curvature of the groove so that when in place in the groove the ends are sealed, the side edges e, e, contact the sides of the groove and the entire space below the plate is a lubricant channel which discharges lubricant to either or both side faces of the groove through the gaps formed by the notches 24a, 24a.

Preferably, however, the distributing member takes the form shown in Fig. 3 where ends 23, 23, are curved to conform with the rail groove curvature and thus seal the ends when the member is in track. Likewise, an intermediate section similarly conforms to the groove curvature except for a central longitudinal raised flat por tion 2|, as clearly shown in the section of Fig. 6. This raised portion 2| provides a lubricant channel 29 (Figs. 2 and 6) by which lubricant supplied by the supply line l3 may pass to the transverse intermediate portions 22, 22, which (Fig. 4) are of lesser radius than the portions 23 and thus raised from the bottom of the groove and the edges are spaced from the side faces of the rail groove, leaving gaps 24, 24, for the discharge of lubricant. These gaps may be adjusted, as by hammering over the edge 25 (Fig. 5) to close up the discharge opening on that side, if it is desired to ooze less grease out on that side.

I have found it desirable where this form I of distributing member is used, to fill the concavity of the member, at least in the portions 22, 22, with a plastic material up to, say, the dotted line of Fig. 5. Such material as pavement asphalt or tar may be used and passing flanges relied upon to roll it to form. The purpose of this is to provide a shelf or filling to prevent the semi-stiff lubricant discharged against the side faces of the grooves through gaps 24, 24, and initially piling up as at 26 or 21 (Fig. 2) from falling back into the bottom of the concavity out of touch with the wheel flanges. If the form la (Fig. 8) is used, no filling is required.

If desired, this filling may be integral with the distributing member which will be accomplished by making the member (Fig. 7) in the form of a casting or forging or the like ib, preferably with a longitudinal underneath passage 2% and side discharge passages 24b.

Preferably the lubricant supply from the line I3 to the distributing member I (Fig. 2) is provided from below, a preferred construction being shown in which a two part male and female coupling 28 serves to connect the supply line [3 to the rail head. It is understood that a similar connection may be made in the rail head of rail 6, or other rail, whereby other supply lines, as M, may serve a distributing member in the groove of the other rail or rails.

Where a lubricant supply from above may be provided as by passages through either or both walls of the groove, as 35, 35A, (Fig. 8A) a distributing filler may be used directly in the groove, as 34. This may be a block or such plastic filler as described above or any material that will hold up even momentarily the lubricant so that the flange 20 will pick it up. With the back and forth action of the flanges, as indicated in Fig. 2, the lubricant will be distributed more or less on both rubbing surfaces. Best distribution calls for the introduction of the lubricant on the side of the greater wear, whether oil or grease.

I am aware that it is not new to use a lubricant pump with an actuating member extending upwards through the rail head, and that it has been proposed to supply lubricant through the side wall of the groove to form a pool in the bottom and splash on the wheel flanges. These things I do not claim.

What I claim is:

1. An assemblage of the character described comprising a member provided with a gauge surface, a member associated therewith provided with a guard surface, lubricant distributing means comprising a member fixedly positioned along the bottom of the groove between said surfaces and provided with outlets so constructed and arranged as to supply lubricant to said surfaces.

2. Track lubricating apparatus comprising a lubricant distributing member conforming in part to and supported fixedly along the bottom of the groove between the gauge surface and the guard surface of a rail in position to distribute and build up a body of lubricant along both said surfaces in position for said lubricant to be engaged by the flanges of passing car wheels and distributed thereby along said surfaces, said distributing member being below and out of position to contact with the flanges of normal car wheels.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2 and including a lubricant supply passage below and formed in part, by said member, and means to supply lubricant thereto.

4. In combination, a rail provided with a groove formed by the gauge surface of said rail and a guard surface, a lubricant distributing member positioned in said groove and conforming thereto at the ends of said member, a lubricant discharge opening being provided at a side face of said groove by a non-conforming intermediate portion of said member.

5. Track lubricating apparatus comprising a lubricant distributing member lying along and fixedly positioned in the groove between the gauge surface and the guard surface of each rail of a plurality of rails out of position to contact with the flanges of normal car wheels, common lubricant supply means for said distributing members, and means to adjust the relative supply of lubricant to said distributing members.

6. In a track lubricating apparatus a lubricant distributing member positioned between the gauge surface and the guard surface of a rail in position to discharge lubricant along one of said surfaces in position for said lubricant to be engaged by the flanges of passing car wheels and distributed thereby along said surface, said distributing member being below and out of position to contact with the flanges of normal car wheels, and a stationary filler above said member adapted and arranged to prevent escape of lubricant from contact with said car wheel flanges.

7. A structure as defined in claim 6 in which said filler is applied in plastic'form and shaped by a passing car wheel flange.

8. A structure as defined in claim 6 in which said filler is integral with said distributing memher.

9. As an article of manufacture, a lubricant distributing member for rails provided with a gauge surface and a guard surface spaced therefrom, adapted to build up a body of lubricant along said surfaces, comprising portions conforming to the space between said surfaces and provided with a non-conforming intermediate portion whereby to provide a gap for the discharge of lubricant.

10. As an article of manufacture, a lubricant distributing member as defined in claim 9 in which said non-conforming intermediate portion extends across said member whereby to provide on each side a gap between said portion and the near-by surface for the discharge of lubricant.

11. As an article of manufacture, a lubricant distributing member as defined in claim 9 provided with a plurality of non-conforming intermediate portions whereby to provide a plurality of gaps for the discharge of lubricant, and a longitudinally extending raised portion connecting said non-conforming portions whereby to provide a lubricant channel for the supply of lubricant to said discharge gaps.

12. Track lubricating apparatus for grooved rails or the like comprising a lubricant distributing member lying in the groove between the gauge surface and the guard surface, a lubricant supply passage along the groove below said member, and means to supply lubricant thereto.

13. Track lubricating apparatus for rails provided with a gauge surface and a guard surface, comprising pumping means for the lubricant, actuating means therefor extending between said surfaces, lubricant distributing means positioned along the bottom of the groove between said surfaces and spaced from said actuating means, and means to supply lubricant to the under side of said lubricant distributing means.

14. Track lubricating means for rails provided with a gauge surface and a guard surface, comprising lubricant pumping means, actuating means therefor extending between the. said surfaces of one rail and lubricant distributing means comprising a member fixedly positioned along the bottom of the groove between the said surfaces of another rail, and lubricant supply from said pumping means to said distributing means.

15. Track lubricating apparatus for grooved rails or the like, comprising lubricant distributing means positioned in the bottom of the groove between the gauge surface and the guard surface of a rail, provided with a top surface below and out of position to contact with the flange of a normal oar wheel and in position to present lubri cant to such flanges, and means to supply lubricant thereto.

16. Track lubricating apparatus for grooved rails or the like, comprising a lubricant supply to the groove of the rail and filler material between the gauge surface and the guard surface of the rail below and out of position to contact with the flange of a normal car wheel and adapted to hold lubricant up on said surfaces in position for said lubricant to be engaged by the flanges of passing car wheels.

MILBURN MOORE. 

